Dahlia’s eyes bugged out. “Why?”

I made myself stay standing straight and not slump. “Long story short, Achilles has my brother, and he’s going to kill him the second I step into the stadium at CenturyLink Field.”

The walkie-talkie took that moment to gasp to life, Officer Jensen’s voice crackling over the airwaves. “Alena. We’ve got a problem.”

I tugged the device off my waistband and pressed the button. “What is it?”

“We’ve got a huge number of unfriendlies here. Along with enough humans that the stadium is going to be full in a matter of half an hour. As in all seventy thousand seats.” The squawk box hissed off.

I pressed my button again. “How many unfriendlies are we talking?”

There was silence for longer than a minute. Was he counting? Had he been caught?

It hissed to life. “Over a thousand.”

My heart sank. “Any idea how these people showed up in time for the . . . show?”

“Hang on.” The line hissed with empty white noise for a solid minute, the longest minute of my life, before he came back on.

“They’ve got flyers. Says it’s a free show two thousand years in the making. And that two lucky people will win a million dollars each when the show concludes.”

I closed my eyes. With a flyer like that, I was not surprised they filled the stadium. “Jensen, there is no money waiting for anyone. See if you can get people out of there. Quietly, though.”

“Roger that. I’ll check back if anything changes.”

I put the walkie-talkie back over my waistband and put a hand to my head. “Dahlia, how fast are you?”

“Not fast enough to get through that many. I think you’re right. You need help. More than I can give you.”

“Darn it all to . . . to hell!” I snapped as I paced the room. There was no choice. I had to save Tad.

Even if it meant making a deal with the devil himself.

“Dahlia. Call Remo. Tell him I’m ready to take him up on his offer.”

“Are you sure?”

I shook my head. “No. Not at all.”

CHAPTER 14

Dahlia went to go find fresh clothes and, I assume, contact Remo. I continued to pace. Beth and Sandy sat beside each other on the couch. I glanced at them from time to time, seeing the overlay of birds on them here and there. They didn’t look like songbirds, that was for sure.

“Alena, how long have you been . . . a monster?” Beth asked softly, her voice trembling. I was surprised at the shift in her demeanor. When Dahlia had needed help, Beth’s training had kicked in and the timid woman had been washed away in what needed to be done. Maybe she was like me, stronger than she realized. That was a good thing, if I could get her to see her own abilities for the good they were.

“A few days.” I kept up my pacing, feeling the snake in me coil and uncoil, agitated with the lack of real movement.

They exchanged a glance. Sandy cleared her throat. “How can you be sure we’re what you say we are? Merlin saved us from the virus. Maybe you’re just mad at him because he turned you into something you didn’t want.”

“He saved my life too.” I snorted. “And now I can shift into a snake the size of a house. Not exactly what I asked for.” Yet a part of me realized I’d made the mistake of not being more specific.

No. I was not going to take the blame for this. Dahlia stepped back into the room, her face grim and the phone in her hand. She held it out to me. “He’d like to talk to you.”

I strode over and all but snatched the phone from her. “Hello?”

His deep bass rolled through the phone and over my skin. “Alena. Lovely to hear from you.”

His voice did bad things, took my mind from the task at hand as it conjured up images of satiny soft sheets and body parts dipped in dark chocolate.

Time to cut to the chase. “I need your help.”

“No proper hello? No thank you for answering the phone?” His soft rebuke held no real heat to it.

“My brother’s life is on the line. I don’t have time to be nice anymore.” I had to focus to keep from snapping the phone in half.

“Well. That is a predicament, isn’t it?”

“I . . .” I swallowed my pride and what was left of how I’d been raised. “I want your help to get him out.”

“And what will you give me in return?”

Dahlia snatched the phone from me and put her hand over the mouthpiece. “Offer him blood. Your blood, for his help this time. Don’t tie yourself to him.”

I nodded and took the phone back. “A drink. On me.”

He chuckled, low and deep, and the vibration did bad things to my mind-set. Something about him made me forget I was supposed to be repulsed by the vampire and the things he epitomized.

“While I appreciate the offer, it’s not enough. I want you. All of you. I can get blood anywhere.”

Dahlia shook her head and I took a slow breath. When my bakery clients balked at the cost of my goods, there was a surefire way to reel them in.

“I’ll give you a taste test. To show you just how good it is.”

He was quiet for a full ten seconds. “A taste test? Where are you?”

I handed the phone back to Dahlia. “Safe house number thirteen.”

Of course it was.

She nodded several times. “She’ll wait.” A click of the button ended the connection, and I glanced at Dahlia.